It was in April 2015, that an MHRD panel first recommended the complete scrapping of the University Grants Commission (UGC), and the setting up of a new body which would be under the direct control of the MHRD.  The autonomy of the UGC would undoubtedly be severely affected by such a move. It was perceived that the panel recommendation were  preparations for pushing through highly centralised policy measures that may not even be deliberately upon in the public domain.
 
Simultaneously, the last Central Budget already saw a jaw dropping budgetary cut of 17% in Education! In the revised estimates for 2014-15, while school education allocation was cut by around Rs. 80,000 crores that of higher education was slashed by Rs. 4,000 crore.
 
This year’s budget saw a 55 per cent budgetary cut in the UGC’s own outlay. The biggest casualties of these measures are of course going to be students from marginalized caste, gender and religious backgrounds.
 
 Sabrangindia has been closely following these developments in the field of education

Columnist  with Sabrangindia, Madhu Prasad, who is also on the Presidium of the All India Forum for the Right to Education (AIFRTE) while commenting upon the December 2015 WTO-GAT negotiations at Nairobi https://sabrangindia.in/column/nairobi-and-after that
 
“Instead of fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide free and compulsory school education of quality to all children and take steps to expand and democratise higher education, the state is retreating from its responsibility. In August 2005, the Government of India (GOI) made an `offer’ to provide Market Access to higher education as a `tradable service’ under the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) General Agreement of Trade in Services (GATS). This offer was made in spite of the conclave of state education ministers having warned against the move in January 2005, citing fears of conflict with national values and goals. If the offer is not withdrawn before the conclusion of the Tenth Ministerial Conference of the Doha Round being held from December 15- 18, 2015 at Nairobi, Kenya, it will become a commitment in perpetuity.
 
In this analysis, Prasad had further said, “However, the struggle in defence of higher education is already being fought on the ground. As privatisation and marketisation of education are being vigorously promoted by government policies the situation is rapidly deteriorating and attacks on the education system and on academic inquiry and freedom are becoming noticeably fiercer. In order to transform education into a commodity and a tradable service as the GATS regime demands, its character as a vibrant space for socially aware critical inquiry and expression needs to be first destroyed. This means that its constituent, freedoms of thought, opinion, expression, association and instruction can no longer be tolerated. Since academic communities both inhabit and define this space which is so essential to any free, open and stable society they become targets, systemically and individually, of governments and forces that seek to oppress people in the interests of the exploiters and profiteers.”
 
 On December 14, 2015, the Presidium of the All India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) wrote a strong appeal to the President of India.
 
Text of the  Appeal:
 
Appeal to advise central government to immediately withdraw the higher education ‘offer’ to WTO-GATS and protect India’s Constitution and sovereignty.
 
Dear Honourable Mr. President,
 
All India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) is a federated platform of about 70 students’ and teachers’ organisations and educational rights groups working in 25 states/UTs. On behalf of AIFRTE, Justice (Retd.) Rajinder Sachar sought an appointment with you on 4th November 2015 in order to submit our Memorandum and the signatures of tens of thousands of people from different parts of the country, appealing to the central government to withdraw its ‘offer’ of committing higher education for ‘market access’ to WTO-GATS before the 10th Ministerial Conference at Nairobi (15th to 18th December 2015). We are deeply disappointed that the opportunity to put forth our concerns before you was denied. Due to this denial, people have submitted their signatures to your office/PMO through District Collectors; those received by us at the last minute are annexed herewith.
 
The central government’s unwillingness to withdraw its ‘offer’ of committing higher education to WTO-GATS before the Nairobi Conference, despite nation-wide protests, is a clear evidence of the government plans to convert India’s higher education from a democratic entitlement into a tradeable commodity in the global market. Rampant privatisation and commercialisation has already excluded more than 90% of the deprived sections, especially the SCs, STs, OBCs and the minorities, with women and disabled in each of these sections suffering further exclusion. Once the WTO-GATS regime is allowed to operate in this sector, the doors of higher education will be permanently closed for the aforesaid sections. WTO-GATS will also impact upon the very character of knowledge and values in the higher education system to suit the corporate vested interest at the cost of the needs of our people. Even the Constitutional commitment to equal opportunity in education and the social justice agenda will be dismantled under the WTO-GATS regime as it will be viewed being against ‘level playing field’ for the corporate profits! Thus, committing higher education to WTO-GATS will erode our capacity to formulate educational policies. It is an assault on the sovereignty of the nation. 
 
As President of our Republic, you are oath-bound to protect the Constitution. We take this opportunity to appeal to you to advise and intervene to ensure that the central government withdraws its ‘offer’ of higher education from the WTO negotiating table of the 10th Ministerial at Nairobi before it is too late!’
 
On April 6, 2016, the Forum received a reply from the Commerce Ministry (an Office Memorandum) addressed to the Under Secretary of the International Cooperation Cell, MHRD, AK Gopal.   Through this reply to the MHRD, the Commerce Ministry of the Government of India has sought to clarify that ‘there had there has been no agreement on ‘Education sector’ at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Nairobi, Kenya. Further the reply states that,
 
‘I am directed to refer to your OM No. 11-1/2015-ICC dated 29th January, 2016 on the subject mentioned above and to inform that India’s draft offers in ‘Higher Education Services’ submitted in the WTO in 2005 are wounded in such a manner as to allow for future evolution of regulations and policies. Moreover, it is still at ‘offer’ stage with no legal validity and still needs to be negotiated. Subsidies have been kept out of its purview, implying that we may continue to grant subsidies to domestic (Indian) service suppliers.
 
2.All scholarships / financial support to students in higher education sector may be continued of discontinued and such schemes may be introduced independent of the obligations under the WTO.
 
3.As regards the issue of FDI, you may like to note that as per the FDI policy of the GOI, 100% FDI is already allowed in the Higher Education Sector under automatic route, subject to necessary sectoral regulations.

4.The philosophy behind making offers in ‘Higher Education Services’ in the WTO is to attract foreign investment, technology and best global practices. The estimated market size of Indian students studying abroad is around USD 15-20 billion. While this is a huge demand on India’s scare foreign exchange resources, it also implies that there is a huge opportunity for Foreign Universities to set up campuses in India. However, the government shall have full flexibility to regulate these Foreign Universities as per its domestic regulations.
 
5.It is also informed that there has been no agreement on ‘Education sector’ at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Nairobi, Kenya.’

See also:

1. The Nairobi Surrender

2.Why higher education in India must not bow to the market
 

The post Slashes in Education due to Iniquitous WTO-GATS Regime? No, says Modi Government appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On 9th December, 2015 the OccupyUGC protestors were lathi charged and water cannoned on their march to the Parliament. The students have been protesting in front of the UGC office in Delhi since 21st October, 2015 against the move to end the Non-NET fellowships for research students.  See https://www.sabrangindia.in/ann/where-news-peaceful-students-protest-faces-police-brutality-delhi

A protest is taking place in the heart of the capital to save what students believe is the future of higher education in the country. Their vigil in front of the University Grants Commission office has lasted more than two months but has received scant media attention, except when the Delhi Police brought down lathis and water cannons on the protesting students. The behaviour of the police with women students was nothing short of appalling. Faced with media indifference and public disinterest, a group named The Media Collective has created a video explaining the protest and reasons behind it: the manner in which India’s higher education system is on the verge of dramatic change, and why the issues raised by the OccupyUGC movement are of great importance.

On January 4, two days ago, the protest entered its 75th day. The vigil outside the UGC started was started by students from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Ambedkar University against the UGC’s decision to roll back the stipend due to all Central university MPhil and PhD scholars. The widespread indignation and angry protests led the HRD ministry to step in and stop the roll-back. However, the ministry also decided to set up a review committee to give these scholarships only to scholars with ‘merit’, ignoring their already established worth that comes with getting through a tough admission process. But as the video produced by The Media Collective) argues, this ‘review’ process is just the tip of the iceberg. Rather than a fundamental right available for all, education has become a commodity for sale, its quantity, quality and value decided by trade negotiators at the World Trade Organisation.

The students involved in OccupyUGC have staunchly opposed the fallout of these talks, which they say could result in the withdrawal of all government support to Central universities, and financial assistance which is a lifeline for thousands of scholars from varied socio-economic background. Since slogans  filled with acronym,' WTO, GATS,' etc.seemed to make little impact, the Collective presents this video as a crash course on the crucial issues at stake.

Please also see
https://www.sabrangindia.in/campaigns/occupy-ugc-students-march-parliament-9th-december-100pm-ugc
https://www.sabrangindia.in/campaigns/occupy-ugc-protest-march-dilli-chalo
https://www.sabrangindia.in/ann/all-india-campaign-arrest-governments-attempt-privatise-and-commercialise-higher-education

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